Ethiopia Writes a New Chapter in Global Environmental History With 56.8 Billion Planted Tree Seedlings

Addis Ababa, September 10, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia has planted 56.8 billion tree seedlings over eight years through its Green Legacy Initiative, surpassing its initial 50-billion-seedling target and marking what the country describes as a new chapter in global environmental history.

Launched in 2019 at the initiative of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Green Legacy was conceived as a national response to land degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss and the degradation of water resources, while linking environmental restoration with sustainable development.

The scale of the undertaking has grown far beyond a conventional tree-planting campaign. More than 3 billion seedlings have been planted in a single day during the initiative’s years of implementation, while more than 25 million citizens have been mobilized annually to take part in the nationwide effort.

The initiative has also been designed around the productive value of trees. About 60 percent of the seedlings planted are agroforestry species, including fruit trees, coffee and fodder varieties, while the remainder consists of forest trees.

The approach connects landscape restoration with food production, household livelihoods and the strengthening of rural economic security.

According to the reported outcomes of the initiative, annual deforestation has declined from 92,000 hectares to 27,000 hectares, while soil erosion on agricultural land has fallen from 130 tonnes per hectare annually to 54 tonnes.

The amount of sediment entering water bodies has likewise declined from 1.9 billion tonnes to 208 million tonnes annually.

The environmental campaign has also generated an economic and social dividend, with nearly 2.6 million jobs created for young people and women.

Fruit and forest clusters emerging across different parts of the country are further creating new opportunities for farmers while strengthening the productive value of restored landscapes.

At the heart of Green Legacy has been mass public participation, coordinated through government structures from the federal level to local communities.

The initiative has consequently developed into a nationwide movement in which environmental restoration is tied to civic participation, youth engagement and a broader sense of collective responsibility for the country’s natural resources.

For Ethiopia, the transformation represents more than the number of seedlings planted. It demonstrates an effort to confront environmental degradation at national scale while using restoration to advance livelihoods, food security, climate resilience and sustainable development.

The achievement was highlighted as Ethiopia concluded its 2026 Green Legacy tree-planting campaign on Thursday under the theme “Let Us Plant Hope.”

The completion of this year’s campaign gives added significance to the cumulative 56.8-billion figure, placing the latest milestone within an eight-year national environmental journey.

Through Green Legacy, Ethiopia is also presenting a different position in the global climate conversation: not only as a country confronting the consequences of climate change and desertification, but as one seeking to contribute actively to their solution through large-scale restoration and collective action.